Nicotine increases the number of neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) in brain. This study investigated the effects of chronic nicotine treatment on nAChRs expressed in primary cultured neurons. In particular, we studied the chronic effects of nicotine exposure on the total density, surface expression and turnover rate of heteromeric nAChRs.… (More)

Nicotine-induced up-regulation of neuronal nicotinic receptors (nAChRs) has been known and studied for more than 25 years. Other nAChR ligands can also up-regulate nAChRs, but it is not known if these ligands induce up-regulation by mechanisms similar to that of nicotine. In this study, we compared up-regulation by three different nicotinic agonists and a… (More)